NAUTICAL NOTES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1847, 31 July 1907, Page 60

NAUTICAL NOTES

(By 8.N.R.)

v THE TAVIUNI ENQUIRY. No recent piece of intelligence has been more welcome to the many nautical friends and confreres of Capt. Lindsay, late of the s.s. Taviuni, than the telegraphed account of the decision of the Court in the matter of the collision between that steamer and the barque Pendle Hill. When the particulars, of the accident first came to hand, everyone intimately acquainted with the. invalid skipper felt perfectly confident that whatever contributed ;to the mental haziness (which has been admitted as causing the error of judgment solely responsible for the collision), alcoholic drink was out of the question. Although the incident of the collision and the subsequent inquiry must have been very trying to Capt. Lindsay in his bad state of health, it is to be hoped that the worry will not delay his recovery, and that "he will soon he fit to navigate “the briny” again.

In addition to the interest centred on our friend, there was —as there always will be—much professional feeling excited by the hasty implication of any alternative cause but ill-health. Steamship masters have of late years established such a high rei>utation for sobriety that, as a body, they are extremely sensitive to the barest sus. picion falling on any member of their profession. The definite statement of Mr Mays, Crown Solicitor! and the pronounced decision of the' Court on tliis feature of the case,. are therefore greatly appreciated. So far as dengue or any kind, of malarial fevers are concerned, it is necessary to have experienced, and suffered from, them to realise their effect on the intellectual faculties. MORE REGULATIONS WANTED. Shipping and harbour regulations are already in such abundance that a diffidence must be felt in suggesting that even one more is required. Yet with the advent of new types of vesels it is of paramount importance to bring them into line for the purpose of preventing casualties. From Auckland comes a small wail in connection with auxiliary screw-oil-propelled schooners. At night they have to carry the same masthead and side-lights as steamers, but in the daytime there is nothing to distinguish them from ordinary sailing vessels. If no sail is set they may be taken at fjirst sight for vessels at anchor, and an undesirable proximity is often, involved before it can be ascer-' tamed that they are in motion. A worse feature of risk is engendered by the practice, common in* Auckland harbour, of keeping all sail set in light winds and calms, while the oil engines are driving them along at a speed of six to nine knots per hour. The masters of steamers —especially those of a large size—proceeding up or down the harbour amid thick traffic, are frequently astonished to find the apparently becalmed and motionless sailing vessels, which they casually noticed as being well out of the way, rushing across their bows at a good speed. This is most awkward when the steamer is the vessel having “to give way.” As the auxiliary schooners show neither funnel nor smoke, and are exactly similar to the ordinary sailing vessel when either at anchor of- under weigh, it is suggested that in the day time, when using their oil-engines, they should carry either a flag or a blackball at the masthead for the purpose of distinguishing them, and for indicating that so far as the “Buies of the Road” are concerned they are »to all intents and purposes “steamers.”

AN UNUSUAL ADVERTISEMENT; The supply of marine officers has always been so much in excess of the demand, that advertising for them has been a rare necessity, and now looks singular. A North of England daily paper .contains an advertisement for masters and officers holding masters’ certificates for a line of long-voyage tramp steamers. Special inducement to apply , is offered by the statement that “promotion is made strictly according to merit”; but is discounted by the concluding notice that “only men of first-class physique, character and ability are invited to apply.” The Union Steam Ship Co.’s new tugboat j now on her way out, maintained a speed of over twelve knots during a six hours’ trial trip. CAPTAIN v. OWNER. A rather curious occurrence happened some time past in connection with the barque Cumbrian, at Adelaide, which has resulted in a law-suit in the Dublin Admiralty Court. The captain of the Cumbrian was dismissed at that port and another master appointed. He, however, refused to give up command, and the crew refused to sail with the newly-appointed master. The vessel was eventually taken home by the original master, who had to sue the owners for his wages and expenses. The defendant owners put in a counter-claim for £327 on the grounds of detention to the ship through the plaintiff’s misconduct. The judge, in giving judgment, £4O for

plaintiff, and £BO for defendants, stated that although there was no reflection on the captain’s moral character, yet the detention, at Adelaide was solely due to him.

THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR A.B.’s. The British Merchant Shipping Act of 1894 in the matter of qualifications for rating as A.B. was similar to the New Zealand Act of 1903, which required four years service before the mast as boy or ordinary seaman (or as an apprentice) before a young sailor was permitted to ship as A.B. The British Act of 1900, however, reduced the term of service to three years, compliance with which the Mercantile Marine Superintendents (now under the control of the Board of Trade) are rigidly insisting on. Strange to say, this immediately raised tlie cry of a scarcity of seamen. If there is any real scarcity, a grave reflection is cast on the past administration of the “four years’ service clause” of the British Act of 1894, which obviously must have been, as far as the rating of A.B.’s was concerned, a dead letter.

Lloyd’s list of marine casualties for the month of May stands as follows: Britiih. Foreign.

THE TRAWLING EXPERIMENT. The Nora Niven has been reported at work during the past week in the vicinities of Ivaikoura, Port Robinson, and towards Banks Peninsula. The results are believed to be satisfactory. It is, however, yet an open question whether the New Zealand coast can maintain a trawling industry, even in minute proportions to that carried on off the coast of Great Britain. Many kinds of fish on our coasts are indigenous to special localities, which are soon exhausted. The best fishing grounds of thirty years ago, in Cook Straits, most notably Ketu Bay and the French Pass, are now practically denuded; and fishermen have to pull from the last named locality to the vicinity of Stephen Island to secure a good catch.”

a a r““S • H d ci <p -t-* o ‘3 S3 OJ -M <S o in in m Eh Abandoned ... —■ — — 3 — 3 Ashore ... ... 1 10 11 9 13 22 Collision ... 14 1 5 4 5 9 Condemned ... — — — 2 — 2 Dismasted ... 1 — 1 — — — Fire ... — 2 2 — 2 2 Foundered ... 2 2 3 1 4 Lost ... — 1 1 2 3 5 Missing ... 3 -- 3 ■ — — — Totals ... 8 17 25 23 24 47